West Hill Golf Club, UK

The course at West Hill was originally designed in 1909 by Cuthbert Butchart and Willie Park jnr.

Jonathan was appointed to undertake a full course audit in 1997, which led to a course improvement masterplan.

The club embarked on a 3 year remodelling project which involved the reconstruction of all bunkers to a style in keeping with Willie Park jnrs style. This involved the importation (from Hankley Common Golf Club) and laying of several thousand square metres of native heather sods - which proved to be highly successful.

Peugeot Golf Guide-

Europe’s Top 1000 Golf Courses

This is the third of a compact threesome of courses, the other two being virtual neighbours Woking and Worplesdon. All three are classic heathland courses although each has its own personality. We suppose you are bound to prefer one of the three but each to his own, as they say. West Hill is very short and only moderately contoured over land strewn with pines, birch and conifers. The heather narrows the fairways and even cuts them in two on the 5th and 17th holes, two par 5s where that age old decision arises once again; do I carry the hazard or lay up short? In fact the whole course calls constant thought on the best way of driving, hitting the second short and approaching the greens. This is why it is always such fun to play. Or sometimes difficult, like the 15th hole, a wonderful par 3. The bunkers were recently upgraded and the course is all the better for it. A natural and well-landscaped layout whose sandy soil drains easily, West Hill has inimitable charm, matched only perhaps by the other two “Ws”…

Peugeot Golf Guide rated 16/20.

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